Greek govt 'to ban Golden Dawn'

The Greek health minister has told ITV News the government will move to ban the far-right party Golden Dawn "within months". A man claiming to be a member of the party has been arrested after allegedly stabbing to death an anti-fascist rapper.

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Greek police have asked for permission to check the phone records of Golden Dawn politicians as part of an investigation into the killing of a anti-racism rapper by a supporter of the far-right party, police said.

The headquarters of the far right party, Golden Dawn, in Athens.

The government has already asked judges to investigate links between the party, which won 7% of the vote in the last election, and the death of Pavlos Fissas, who was stabbed to death on Tuesday night, after being ambushed a crowd of 30.

A police officer told Reuters that they want to establish if Golden Dawn politicians or local party chiefs called supporters on the evening of the death.

The government says it believed the party is a criminal organisation and a threat to public safety.

Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras has called for calm during an "extremely critical time" for the country after an anti-fascist rapper was fatally stabbed by a man allegedly linked to far-right party Golden Dawn.

Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said it was a 'critical' time for the country. Credit: Olivier Douliery/ABACA USA

Samaras said in a televised address to the nation: "This government is determined to not allow descendents of Nazis to poison society, to commit crimes, to terrorise and to undermine the foundations of a country that gave birth to democracy."

Golden Dawn, Greece's third most popular party, insisted it had nothing to do with the killing and has condemned the attack.

Those who accused the party were "wretched sycophants" trying to win votes, the far-right party added.

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Far-right Greek party Golden Dawn, who have been linked to the fatal stabbing of an anti-fascist rapper, could be banned by the government, The Guardian reports.

Nikos Dendias, public order minister, said emergency legislation would be tabled that would seek to outlaw the group, adding that the attack showed "in the clearest way (the party's) intentions."

Prominent ant-fascist Pavlos Fyssas, 34, died after around 30 Golden Dawn supporters attacked him and seven of his friends.

A 45-year-old man has allegedly confessed to the stabbing of Fyssas' - also known as Killah P - and was pictured today being escorted by a policeman as they left the prosecutor's office in Piraeus, near Athens.

A policemen (right) escorts a man accused of killing of a 34-year-old rapper. Credit: REUTERS/EUROKINISSI

Protests and violence erupted after the death of the anti-fascist campaigner with Greece's deputy Prime Minister Evangelos Venizelos saying the group must be treated as a "criminal organisation".

Police in Greece have arrested a man in connection with the fatal stabbing of an anti-fascist campaigner in Athens in the early hours of this morning, according to local media reports.

Paul Fyssas, who is also known by his rapper name Killah P, is reported to have got into an argument with the suspect after a football match in a late-night cafe in the Piraeus suburb.

Witnesses say the 34-year-old activist and his friends were attacked by a gang of 10-15 individuals outside the venue. Fyssas was reportedly pursued by a car before the driver approached him and stabbed him several times.

Several Greek newspapers report that police have stormed the offices of the right-wing Golden Dawn party following the incident, and that the party has denied any involvement.